Method of ornamentation



June 19, 1934. H, DECKER 1,963,834

METHOD OF ORNAMENTATION Filed Jan. 14, 1933 INVENTQR HUGH L. DECKER BYHIS ATTORNEYS Patented June 19, 1934 UNITED STATES METHOD OFORNAMENTATION llu'gh L.- Decker, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Moto MeterGauge & Equipment Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of DelawareApplication January 14, 1933, Serial No. 651,792

5' Claims.

This invention relates to a method of ornamentation, and has for itsprincipal object the economical and convenient production of a patternof ionizable material in a surface of difierent material.

Other objects will appear from the following description referring tothe accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic section ofa transfer surface having ink applied thereto;

Figure 2 shows the same, with resist material applied to the ink;

Figure 3 shows the flash coating of the unprotected area;

Figure 4 shows the heavy electroplated coat- Figure 5 shows the samewith the protective material removed;

Figure 6 shows the plated portion embedded in the surface to beornamented;

Figure '7 is a section through the finished. product, taken along line7-7 of Figure 8, and shows the transfer surface removed; and

Figure 8 is a front view of the finished product.

The invention comprises broadly, electroplating a pattern onto atransfer surface, and trans ferring the pattern to the final surface.

In the form shown, the transfer surface comprises a metal plate 10 ofsteel, zinc or the like. A mask 12 is applied to the transfer surfaceand covers portions thereof, leaving exposed an area which is a reverseof the pattern desired in the finished product.

This mask 12 may be conveniently formed by lithographing or otherwisetreating the plate 10 to apply ink 13 thereto in an area which is areverse negative of the final pattern. The light coating of ink whilestill moist is dusted with a resist compound or powder which has a lowmelting point. This resist material adheres to the ink but is removedfrom the exposed area.

The plate is then baked, to fuse the ink and resist into a denseimpervious mask.

The plate with the mask thereon is then subjected to an electroplatingaction, whereby metal is electroplated onto the exposed area of theplate. Preferably the masked plate is immersed in an electroplatingbath, and a thin plating or flash coating 14 is first applied. Thisflash coating 14 may be of nickel, silver, gold, or alloy, and isapplied in such a manner as to avoid a strong bond with the steel plate10. When silver is employed for the flash coating, all that is necessaryis to make sure that the steel is clean and bright. But if nickel is tobe used for the flash coating, it is advisable to give the steel plate apreliminary treatment, such as dipping in a chromic acid solution beforeimmersing the plate in the electro-plating bath.

After the flash coating or thin plating 14 is applied, a heavy backingcoating 15 is plated onto the plating 14. The coating 15 is preferablyof a. different and less ornamental metal, such as copper, and has astronger bond with the coating 14 than the bond between the coating 14and the transfer surface of the plate 10. It is also preferred that thecoating 15 be applied under high current density, so that it has a roughsurface with numerous projections. 0

The mask is then removed, leaving the electroplated deposit raised abovethe transfer surface. The resist compound and ink may be washed off bymeans of a suitable solvent.

The electroplated deposit is then bonded to the surface to beornamented, this bond being stronger than that of the plating on thetransfer surface. Preferably the deposit is inlaid in the final surface,the rough'surface and projections facilitating the bonding.

In the form shown, the final surface 16 is formed of plastic moldingmaterial, such as rubber, celluloid, various resins, or other materialwhich can be made to flow under heat or pressure or both, and preferablya phenol condensation product, such as bakelite, durez, or plaskon. Thismaterial is applied to the transfer surface with .the electroplateddeposit thereon, and cured by heat and pressure, so that the deposit isfirmly embedded in the molded plastic material.

Then the transfer plate is removed. This may be merely lifted off, asthe flash coating adheres only lightly to the steel or zinc plate, whilethe rough surface and projections of the heavy copper coating aresecurely anchored in the molded plastic material. 1

It will be readily understood that the surface of the transfer plate maybe smooth and polished, or rough and stippled, and after removal of thetransfer plate, the product may be buffed if desired.

The ornamentation thus produced may be merely conventional figures, ormetal silhouettes, or it may be also indicia. A preferred form is anautomobile instrument dial, in which the plastic mold-' ing material istranslucent.

The metal indicia are clearly visible in daylight, and when the dial isilluminated from the rear the opaque metal indicia present a sharpcontrast from the face of the dial.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to thedetails described, but instead, it embraces such modifications thereofas fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of inlaying metal in plastic molding material, whichcomprises masking a portion of a metal surface by covering apredetermined portion only of its area with resist material leaving theremainder thereof exposed, electroplating a different metal onto theexposed portions of said masked metal surface thereby forming a raisedsilhouette, and embedding said electroplated deposit in said plasticmolding material.

2. A method of inlaying metal, which comprises lithographing asilhouette negative onto a portion only of a metal plate, applyingresist to the ink so lithographed, thereby forming a protective coverfor the area of said plate outside of said silhouette, electroplating adifferent metal onto the exposed portions only of the plate, therebyforming a raised positive silhouette, removing the ink and resist andembedding the electroplating in the surface to be inlaid.

3. A method of producing ornamentation which comprises electroplating aportion only of a transfer surface, applying plastic molding material to'both said electroplating and also the remaining portion of saidtransfer surface, curing the molding material, and removing the transfersurface leaving the electroplating embedded in said molding material.

4. A method of inlaying metal which comprises electroplating a thindeposit of metal onto the exposed portion of a transfer surface througha mask, electroplating a heavy deposit of a different metal over saidthin deposit, embedding the side and edges of said heavy deposit in thesurface to receive the inlay, and removing the transfer surface from thethin deposit.

5. A method of inlaying metal in plastic molding material, whichcomprises applying ink in a negative reverse pattern onto a metaltransfer surface, applying resist material to the ink, treating the inkand resist material to form a protective coating for the area of themetal transfer surface covered thereby, electroplating the remainingarea of said metal transfer surface first with a flash coating ofornamental metal adhering lightly to said transfer surface, and thenwith a heavy backing coating of less ornamental metal at high currentdensity forming a rough surface, washing off the protective coatingleaving the positive reverse pattern of electroplated material raised onthe metal transfer surface, covering said electroplated pattern andtransfer surface with plastic molding material and curing under heat andpressure, and lifting off the metal transfer surface, leaving thepositive metal pattern embedded in said plastic material.

- HUGH L. DECKER.

